Pine Needles as Mulch?
beaglemom12
8 years ago
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mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
8 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
Pine needle (straw) mulch
Comments (2)Yes you can use pine needles from under your tree and yes it changes the pH of the soil. It will make the soil more acidic. If you don't want to amend your soil use the pine needles around acid loving plants like azaleas. Otherwise I would recommend testing your soil at least once a year and adjusting the pH to suit your needs....See MorePine Needles As Mulch Around Peach Trees
Comments (25)edit: well, it looks like that PDF access does not work, so here is the ref: "Impact of Mulches on Landscape Plants and the Environment --- A Review" - by Linda Chalker-Scott J. Environ. Hort. 25(4):239-249. December 2007 Mulch Problems --- Real and Perceived Acidification. Organic mulches such as wood chips and bark are thought by some to be soil acidifiers. No scientific research supports this, and in fact studies refute this perception. One study found neither pine bark nor pine needles had any affect on soil pH (51). A second report (60) found bare soil to be more acidic than soil covered by inorganic mulch, and that shredded bark and wood chips were least acidifying of all treatments. Similarly, a year-long study found that the soils under organic mulches were either more alkaline or not affected by mulch treatment (100). ItâÂÂs likely that in artificial conditions, such as nursery production, that woody materials do have an acidifying effect when they are used as part of a potting medium. Release of phenolic acids is one stage of the decomposition of woody material, and if this material comprises the bulk of medium then acidification is likely to occur. In a field situation, however, where the woody material is used as a mulch (and not worked into the soil), any acidification will be localized within the mulch layer and have little effect on the vast underlying soil environment below. Thus, soil acidification due to mulching with woody plant material is unlikely to occur under real world conditions. Greenly, K. and D. Rakow. 1995. The effects of mulch type and depth on weed and tree growth. J. Arboriculture 21:225-232. Iles, J.K. and M.S. Dosmann. 1999. Effect of organic and mineral mulches on soil properties and growth of âÂÂFairview Flame Râ red maple trees. J. Arboriculture 25:163-167. Pickering, J.S. and A. Shepherd. 2000. Evaluation of organic landscape mulches: composition and nutrient release characteristics. Arboricultural J. 23:175-187. Here is a link that might be useful: Impact of Mulches on Landscape Plants and the Environment This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Tue, Oct 22, 13 at 10:45...See MorePine needles for mulch?
Comments (14)We live in Oklahoma City. I planted loblolly pines down the sides of our land, in part, to use specifically as mulch for our many rose bushes. Roses prefer soil acidity of around 6.5 percent. Pine needles are roughly 3.5 percent acidic. So, with an average soil alkalnity, or an even slightly acidic to acidic soil , pine needles are an optimum mulch for not only roses, but most flowering plants and shrubs. I'm a casual/lazy gardener, which means that I plant perennials, re-seeders, shrubs and tubers/bulbs. My research and calls to my local county extension indicate that pine needles are perfect for my uses. I rake the needles, and spread them around my plants, in places, in long streaks of piles on side beds. This is easy, and nothing else is required! I just do a little patting down and smoothing of piles and I have beautiful beds, almost ZERO WEEDS, and year long mild acidity, as well as nitrogen as the needles break down into rich, dark soil!...See Morepine needle mulch
Comments (3)How quick do they burn? My neighbor has started piling up pine needles around outside of her stucco fence. It's about 8 in. thick. I'm wondering if someone tosses a match or cigarette in there if it won't act as kindling. These are the 8-10 in. long tan colored ones. Gardener might not like trying to get the needles off the gravel. They are a real pain in the neck. Some days I remove over 100 of them from my driveway, I don't want them on my property. Neighbor's cute little bonsai pine tree is now 30 ft tall. Once you put them in the ground,they revert back....See MoreMarie Tulin
8 years agobeaglemom12
8 years ago
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